#tmbreflections

As we enter the month of Ramadan, I sit and reflect upon how I can do better in this year’s Ramadan as if it is my last. If there’s one thing that hit me the most recently, it is the reality that we are not promised time and death comes to us unexpectedly.

That led me to realize that I carry excess baggage that hinder me from filling my life with beautiful things Islam taught me. My excess baggage is filled with hatred, materialistic desires, insecurities, fears, doubts, and residues from my pain. I’d love to change my excess baggage with overflowing love for others, work that will benefit the ummah, confidence, optimism, prayers and hope. 

This month is the perfect month to deal with our excess baggage that we’ve been carrying for years. Let’s purify ourselves with ibaadah. It is not too late to change ourselves if we are given the time NOW, we should not waste this time. 

There are times when everything you thought you could achieve, people you thought you could be with, plans you thought you could turn into reality would just banish out of a sudden although you exerted your best and prayed hard for it. Sometimes, the only option left for you is to accept, to be patient and to let Allah guide you through what’s best for you. Sometimes, it’s painful to admit that what we worked hard for is gone or what you wished for will never ever happen. Sometimes, it’s hard to understand the wisdom behind every failure. Sometimes, it’s hard to admit that although you don’t see anything wrong; people would see it as if it’s wrong. Sometimes, it’s hard to accept that although all your intention was nice and for the sake of Allah, still it’s not what you deserve. But, in times like that, it is when we should connect more to our Almighty Allah because it is when He tests us if we are worthy of His good plans for us. It is the time when we should believe that our duas were answered but the answers weren’t yes. It is the time when we should remind ourselves that not all what we think are best for us, are the best for us. It is the time when we should surrender the broken pieces of ourselves to Him and let Him fixes us whole again. It’s hard and it’s painful but in time we will be whole again – reborn into stronger and wiser person.